Category: BCM332

From Cinderella to Elsa, girls have had a wide range of princesses they could grow up to admire. From Harry Potter to Spider-Man, boys were dared to test their limits and rule the world. But these slight differences are what have caused a divide between an equal society. The entertainment industry for years have taught children that they’re heroes are different – A woman will grow up to clean the house, whilst her husband will be off fighting crime. This has caused a lot of controversy over the years, especially over the topic of pay, merchandise, and the portrayal of women. But what happens when the roles are reversed and the woman is given the credit for being a hero?

In 2017, DC Comics and Warner Bros Studios introduced Wonder Woman to the big screen. The character not only gave guidance to young girls, she portrayed the strength of every woman and mother. She has helped bring a change in society and was even credited by the United Nations in October 2016. The UN decided to appoint Wonder Woman as an honorary ambassador to promote the empowerment of women and gender-based violence in October last year. Her strength depicted the way in which women stood up for themselves and tackled life struggles.

“Wonder Woman is already an ambassador from the Amazons to Man’s world, with the goal of uniting men and women to achieve equality for everyone. But what makes Wonder Woman powerful isn’t that she represents, ‘look what girls can do.’ It’s that she represents, ‘look what girls can already do.’” – DC Entertainment President Diane Nelson.

Unfortunately, her appearance and attire was one that didn’t depict all women and was not approved by everyone. Two months later, Wonder Woman was sacked from her role and some of her fans had turned their back on her. Campaigns sparked an outcry from people believing the fictional character was sexualising women, which resulted in 45,000 petition signatures to remove the character.
U.N. staff protested at headquarters with signs that read “I am not a mascot” and “Let’s get real.” The protest tried to explain that society deserved a human ambassador that young people could look up to rather than a “bodice, and short skirt fictional character.”

Wonder Woman stands for peace, justice and equality, and for 75 years she has been a motivating force for many and will continue to be long after the conclusion of her UN honorary ambassadorship.” – DC Entertainment spokesperson, Courtney Simmons.

It is obvious to see that women have contributed less to the highly male dominated world of Hollywood. But with the increase of women in lead roles, Warner Bros’ and DC comics have confronted the very real truth of inequality gap in the entertainment industry. Alongside Katniss from the Hunger Games trilogy, these characters have threatened the gap and empowered women to take a step forward in the industry.